Chapter 28

Shoko's anguished cry was the only thing that resounded in the silent halls. A few nurses looked over and one of them came to comfort her, asking what was wrong.

Ren let out a cry of frustration and grief, slamming his fist into the wall. "Goddamn it!"

There was static coming from the headphones, freezing everyone on the spot. Dino reached for it but Romario got it first, glancing at the nurse for a split second with distrust. She only looked back in confusion.

Romario placed the headphones over his head, turning off speaker. "Hello? Anyone there?"

"Don't worry, Romario," Reborn's voice said through the static. "Although, Dino's motorcycle is something you should worry about. Tsuna's fine with the girl."

Then it got cut off. Romario sighed in relief and took off the headphones. He nodded at Dino who almost collapsed, overwhelmed.

"She's okay," he said to Ren who instantly looked up at him. "Tsuna saved her."

The nurse perked up. "Tsuna? So you mean Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

Romario was instantly on guard as she helped Shoko stand. "Yes. What is your business with him?"

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about," the nurse said with a gentle smile. "We're very well-acquainted with one another. Do you mind if I ask what's going on?"

"It's nothing for you to be concerned about, miss. May I ask for your name?"

"My name is Shoda Mio."


Reborn knew that Tsuna was panicking. The brunette was like an open book and yet he wasn't. It was confusing and sometimes it irked him, but it also excited him to meet with such a challenge.

He gripped onto Tsuna's shoulder when the boy made a sudden turn to the right. "Tsuna, you're going the wrong way."

"There's something wrong," he heard Tsuna say from his helmet. "I don't think this is right. Fuck this."

He raised his hand into a fist and slammed it into the tracking pad. Reborn stared when not even a drop of blood escaped from Tsuna's otherwise fine hand.

"You're not bleeding," he said blandly. "Are you on steroids or is there something you're not telling me?"

"I merged," Tsuna said simply, groaning when he saw incoming traffic. He turned to a one-way street and dodged an incoming car in the nick of time. The car's honk stretched a long way as Tsuna turned around and said, "Sorry!"

"For a beginner, you're not too bad," Reborn said.

"Oh, and you get to drive around in this all the time?" Tsuna said sarcastically.

Reborn felt a twitch at the corner of his lips but kept a neutral face. "Yes, I do."

"Glad to know."

They rode through a hike trail, trees brushing against their skin, and up a large, steep path. Reborn kept his hand in place and saw Leon glowing even brighter.

For Tsuna? he thought.

They stopped in front of a cliff that was a very far distance from the airport. Reborn saw Long-wei gripping a small girl around the neck. His hand though wasn't as firm to choke properly. Reborn looked at Tsuna's pensive expression through the helmet's visors.

Tsuna stopped the motorcycle and immediately got off, leaving his helmet on the seat; he kept the black communication microphone on. "Long-wei, right? How did you get out of the hospital?"

The Chinese man looked back at him with solemn, regretful eyes. "I'm sorry, young Vongola. I can't - "

He winced and took a jerky step forward. Kana thrashed against his tightening grip, screaming with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"No! No! Ken-nii! I want Ken-nii! Ken-nii!"

Long-wei then released his hold, dropping the girl. Tsuna immediately dashed to the side of the cliff and slid on his stomach, reaching out to grab the girl's hand.

"Kana, it's okay," he said, trying to calm her down. ""Hold onto my hand tightly, alright? Don't let go."

Reborn watched as Long-wei was fighting against some unknown force. If he remembered correctly, Mei-hui could use illusions. He tipped his fedora. Maybe that was why Tsuna sensed something wrong. Illusions couldn't even escape the Vongola's Hyper Intuition.

He jumped in the air and kicked the man in the face who vanished under his touch. He gritted his teeth in irritation. Illusions were undeniably cheap and tricky.

"Don't look down, Kana," Tsuna said. "It's okay. I got you."

Long-wei appeared behind him with Mei-hui's fan in his hand. Reborn quickly ran to disarm him but he was a split second too late. A gleam appeared from one of the fan's edges, glinting under the light, and came down onto Tsuna's back, near his heart.

He screamed along with Kana as Long-wei kicked them over the cliff, blood dripping from his hand. Leon glowed brighter and brighter before a pair of mittens appeared into Reborn's hands. He kicked Long-wei in the head, sending him over as well, and jumped down, keeping a hand on his fedora.

He remembered thinking, I'll be fucking damned to not see you at the inheriting ceremony, Tsuna, before he automatically took the bullet from inside the mitten and inserted it in Leon, aiming it at the falling brunette with great accuracy and pulling the trigger.

The brunette's eyes snapped open, a dazed look within them before they morphed into an orange color. Reborn leaned forward to gain more speed and slipped the gloves into Tsuna's hands. Whatever the hell they were, he hoped it work.

He blinked when he found himself in Tsuna's arm alongside with Kana. He looked down to see that, instead of falling, they were rising. Large orange flames appeared in his vision and he petted Leon in a job well done.

Tsuna landed on the cliff and gently placed them down. He looked down along with Reborn to see the mangled body of Long-wei, still and unmoving.

Kana looked on in awe at Tsuna and tugged his pants shyly. "Tenshi-san, did Ken-nii send you?"

The brunette looked down at her with gentle eyes despite the orange flickering flame on his forehead. He reached out with a black, metal-clad glove.

"Kana, would you like to go to Kensuke?" he said in a deeper voice.

Kana nodded with teary eyes. "Ken-nii is hurt because of Kana. Bad Kana!" She hit herself in the head before crying again, wiping her tears with trembling, balled fists.

Tsuna pulled her into a hug and hushed her softly. "Don't cry, Kana. It's okay. Tenshi-san is here, right? That means Kensuke is fine."

Reborn saw the small headset by his side and picked it up, hearing static from the other side. He then heard wails of grief and a cry of frustration.

"Goddamn it!" he heard.

"I'll bring you to him, Kana," Tsuna said, walking to Dino's motorcycle and placing her on the seat in front of him. "I promise."

Kana looked up with a sniffle. "Promise, tenshi-san?"

Tsuna nodded as he placed the helmet over her head, adjusting it so it wouldn't fall off. It was still too big for her. He closed his eyes and placed his hands on the handles. "Hold tight, Kana."

Reborn watched in slight amazement as the motorcycle slowly bursted into flames. It wasn't hostile, but warm and almost comforting. Kana laughed in glee, clapping her hands. She hesitantly reached out to touch it when Tsuna guided her hand into a part of the flame, smiling when she widened her eyes in awe.

"Kana is not hurt, tenshi-san! It tickles!"

"Hello? Anyone there?" a muffled voice said through the headset.

"Don't worry, Romario," Reborn said. "Although, Dino's motorcycle is something you should worry about. Tsuna's fine with the girl."

He stepped on it, ending the connection, and hopped onto Tsuna's shoulder. "Go, Tsuna."

They blasted forward, leaving a trail of withering flames behind. None of the trees were harmed and it seemed the sky resonated with the flames in its own way.


"Shoda Mio?" Ren said, his gaze catching the woman's eyes. He snatched his wife away and pushed her behind him, ignoring her protests. "I don't know what the hell you're trying to do but Shoda Mio is dead."

Dino slightly widened his eyes as Romario stood up, his eyes sharpening.

The nurse chuckled darkly before morphing into a fair Chinese woman, a blue fan covering the lower portion of her face.

"I can never keep a cover up for too long," she said airily, flicking a strand of her black hair behind her shoulder. "This is just too exciting."

Dino took out his whip from his waist and stretched it to calm his nerves. "Who are you?"

The woman snapped her fan shut. "A traveler."

Ren's hand went to his belt but there was no gun. He cursed when all he felt was air.

"You have two choices, Chiavarone Dino," the woman said with a small smirk. "Save that Hibari boy or the one that is near death's doors."

Dino glared. "Tsuna is fine. There's nothing to negotiate here."

"Oh? However, I meant - " She waved her hand in front of her and an unconscious boy was draped over her arm " - him."

"Kensuke!" Shoko said, reaching out for her son.

Ren held her back and shook his head. "If we do something, we won't know what'll happen to Kensuke." He glared at the woman. "What else are you proposing?"

She carelessly threw the boy to the ground, his breaths getting raspier and his wound reopening on his head. Dino heard chaos from the lower floors, doctors and nurses yelling what the hell was going on and where the patient went. So this was real, the boy was real.

He perked up a little when he heard the roaring noise of a motorcycle getting closer and louder with each second.

"Nothing. It's - "

The wall exploded and smoke immediately filled the halls. Dino covered his mouth with his hand and saw Romario by his side doing the same.

"Dino-sama, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. What the hell was that?"

"Papa!" a small, muffled voice said.

"Kana!" Shoko said, holding a small girl tightly in her arms. "Thank Kami-sama that you're alive!"

Ren looked around to find his son, panic growing in his eyes. "Kensuke! Kensuke!"

He ran towards a hole on the opposite wall. "Kensuke!"

Dino followed suit along with Romario. He widened his eyes. "Tsuna?"


Tsuna released his hold on Mei-hui's face and left her lying on the ground. He held Mochida carefully in his arm. Reborn placed his hand on the boy's head, summoning his Sun flames to heal the wound.

A bit of color returned to Mochida's cheeks and he let out a sigh of content, his face relaxing and the tension disappearing.

"Falling for the same trick every time," a voice said.

Tsuna easily dodged a gust of wind. He looked down at Mochida and up at Ren who was at the edge of the hole he created. Dino's motorcycle was toppled over on the ground, scorched and practically unusable.

Reborn took Mochida from him and easily held him up with his small arm. "Go far away from here, Tsuna. I'll catch up quickly."

Tsuna nodded and turned to Mei-hui who looked fine, fanning herself with her hand. "My, it's hot."

"Where is Hibari Kyoya?" he said calmly.

"Somewhere not here," Mei-hui said with a shrug. "I wonder, though, if he would like to tend to the needs of the Bai Hu. He looks the type."

Tsuna propelled himself forward with his flames and forcefully grabbed the woman by the arm, flying far away from Namimori as he possibly could. He smelled burning flesh and flew downwards, slamming Mei-hui to the ground.

She suddenly screamed, reaching her hands up to her face. Strange golden markings crept onto her skin and over her burnt arm. She writhed in pain on the ground, saliva dripping from her open mouth. Her hair was released from its bun, fanning around her convulsing body.

Tsuna sensed a very small presence and immediately sailed forward with his flames, pulling his fist back. When he punched the empty air, a sharp clang echoed in the air.

"I am not here to fight, Vongola," a voice said.

Tsuna kept his gaze on the invisible person, pushing hard against, possibly, a blade. "I will not stop until you reveal yourself."

"I apologize, Vongola," the person said, most likely a female. "But this is the only form I can maintain at the moment."

Mei-hui snarled, gritting her teeth as she tried to get up. "Xi-yan, how dare you show your face h - "

She was forced to the ground with a shriek, rolling into a ball with jerky movements. Tsuna then felt a hand on his own but did not see anything.

"I apologize again, Vongola," the person said. "I will take sole responsibility for Mei-hui's actions. I believe you want to know where your friend is?"

Tsuna nodded, finding no ill intentions from Xi-yan and placed his feet on the ground.

"He is on a private jet heading to Shanghai. You still have time. I will take care of Mei-hui. I promise that you will never see her again."

Tsuna glanced at the fallen woman. "What about Jiang-guo?"

"Is he not the Cloud guardian to Sawada Tomoko, Vongola?" Xi-yan said. "We do not meddle with the business of the Italian mafia. Jiang-guo is now bound to the Vongola Family. He has accepted and turned on the Qing Long."

"Impossible!" Mei-hui said despite the unknown agony she was going through. "He can never leave the Qing Long!"

"Please go, Vongola," Xi-yan said, ignoring the woman. "Do you want your friend to be enslaved?"

Tsuna nodded. "Thank you."

"I hope we do not meet again."

Tsuna propelled himself into the air with his flames, soaring in the sky out of human sight. He followed his senses, the wind blowing against his face. He narrowed his eyes, going faster, when he saw the ocean stretch under him. The blue waters were calm and the sound of the waves was almost soothing in his ear.

Once he saw the private airplane come into view, he flew in closer at rapid speed. He looked inside the window to see Hibari tied up and gagged, being picked on by a couple of men. He was conscious, but his eyes were hazy, clearly drugged.

When one of the men gripped his hair and started to unzip his pants, Hibari glared and struggled, earning a punch to the face. Tsuna struck and tore the plane apart with his hands, the creaking of metal catching everyone's attention.

Hibari's eyes were blank, but his face remained spiteful. Tsuna set the plane ablaze mercilessly, screams piercing the air. He maintained the course of the flames, making sure that Hibari wouldn't get burned.

He grabbed the prefect and flew away as the plane fell, landing in the waters, the cries of the dying men growing fainter. He could feel the power slowly fading away in his body and accelerated his speed, his flames blazing behind him.

He didn't know how far he went but once he found land getting eerily closer in his vision. His body ached and felt heavy as he neared solid ground. He grabbed Hibari and held the prefect close to his chest, turning his body so he would gain more impact of the fall.

When he landed on his back, he didn't feel anything, but an aching in his chest, near his heart. His breaths became shallow as he released Hibari from his hold who rolled onto his feet before losing balance.

Tsuna fought to keep his eyes open as he turned his head to the side. A gravestone greeted him, the engraving hazy in his vision:

Beloved Sister and Friend

Shoda Mio

February 3rd, 1989 - November 18th, 2014

He smiled weakly, reaching up to touch the gravestone. His hand trembled when it felt the cool stone against his fingertips.

I'm sorry, Onee-chan, he thought, his eyes closing.

His hand fell with a thud on the ground and tears slipped down his cheeks. He slowly faded into darkness.


A/N Thank you for the reviews and favorites! I'll be sure to fix chapter 20 with the Chinese and such! ^^

The mini-arc is not over yet. Keke.

Bai Hu - White Tiger

Tenshi - angel

From this point on, the rating will go up just to be safe. If this disturbs or troubles you in any way, I apologize.

Just a question, guys: is my writing too...simple? 0_0 'cause that was plaguing my mind throughout the whole course of the story. Any suggestions or tips?

Xi-yan's invisibility is connected to the ability of her flame that I made up, haha. It's part of the Seven Flames of Heaven (again, made-up), but that doesn't really explain much, haha. I can say something about Mei-hui though: She has the Wind Flame that the Chinese Mafia manifested from the original Mist Flame.

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you can!

See you in the next chapter!